So much to say...

I have so much I need to get out and off my chest, so pop yourself some popcorn, because this could take a while to read.

1. Hurricane Wilma: My parents and my sister (who went to Miami for Yom Tov) are sitting in the dark as I write this. They are not on day 3 of no power, no phones and an 8 PM curfew (strictly followed since no one wants to pay a $1,000 fine). Walking to shul today they had to walk in the street because so many power lines were down on the sidewalks. I worry about my mother the most because she is a diabetic. I only hope they did their due diligence and prepared as they were supposed to. Yes, the system of supplies and getting things back to normal sucks over there and yes, I am blaming Jeb Bush. But the one thing he is right about is that everyone had more than enough time to get ready for this. My sister had part of someone's roof fly into her bedroom windows so they are broken. The mango tree in my parents' backyard is now simply a trunk with a few sparse branches. Someone's roof tiles are scattered throughout the neighborhood. Three doors down, a power pole in someone's backyard is now the Unincorporated Dade County Leaning Tower of Pisa. I wish my parents would move further north. They don't have to move all the way up to where I am, but at least Central Florida would be safer.

2. Simchat Torah - Or should I call it Simchat Nefesh / Simchat Goof? What exactly are people celebrating anyway? Are they celebrating matan torah (the giving of the Torah) or are they celebrating a chance to get drunk without anyone wagging a finger at them? I had a mini-debate with a dear friend of mine over getting drunk on Simchat Torah. It seems in HIS community, EVERYONE is under control enough that they get just enough tongue loosened so that they bid on the hakafos more than they normally would. That is the goal in his community. So somehow, that justifies the getting tipsy. If I am not mistaken, acting out of control is what caused Moshe to smash the two tablets he shlepped down from Har Sinai the first time he came and saw the Golden Calf. Correct me if I am wrong.

So in Shul today (I didn't go last night, I have been feeling ill due to a cold that is being passed around the neighborhood.) hakafos (for all of about 25 men) took about an hour and a half. Which wouldn't have been SO bad had they not been so screwed up that they said one of the hakafos TWICE! There were some black hatters who popped in during the third or fourth hakafah to dance and stomp and shout around and then they left. The women all stood around doing nothing (no one dances it seems) and they weren't even afforded the option of kissing a Torah (via a Siddur -- OF COURSE) because none of the men carrying the 6 or 7 Torahs thought to come over and offer. Then too, there were the 6 or 7 Torahs going in a circle with about 6 or 7 men besides and all the other men were sitting around shmoozing. Wait, did you hear me correctly, SITTING around shmoozing. The way I was raised, if a Torah is out and about, you stand. If you can't stand, you leave the room. You don't make a circle of chairs, sit with the guys and have coffee hour! Holy cow it was insane! To make matters worse, since Hakafos were taking so long, many men went upstairs to the other minyan (which had about 200 people) because there was a better chance of getting an aliyah before dinnertime there! (OK, so that was a bit sarcastic, but you get the drift.)

3. Respect: Here is how I was raised. When it is time to have lunch or dinner on Shabbos or Yom Tov, you wait until the man of the house is present and then he makes Kiddush/Hamotze and then everyone eats. No, I was not raised that he should be served up his food like a child. But I was raised that it is a sign of respect to wait to eat until the man of the house is there. Well, today being Simchat Torah (see #2 above for my griping about that), Kiddush was already done after my husband had his aliyah. This morning before going to shul I had a bite of cake but was not really hungry. At Kiddush, I had another bit of cake and some wine (Malaga, yumm). I took our son home and fed him and put him in for a nap after the Kiddush (this was about 1:45.) So my husband comes home and I have lunch ready on the table (deli, salads, etc.) He decided he wanted meatballs so they needed to be warmed. Fine. I asked him if we could still sit down and he could do Hamotze because I was hungry since I hadn't eaten much today. So he couldn't figure out why I hadn't eaten when I got home. I tried to explain to him that the way I was raised, you wait until the man of the house is there. (Now those of you who know me to be a feminist will wonder why I even bother. But the truth is that I would feel like I was disrespecting my father's ways if I ever didn't wait for my husband to be ready for a meal before I ate. I guess there is a lot of old world European in me.) So my husband just couldn't get it. Why do I bother?

Anyway, that is all I can gripe about for now. My fingers can't handle any more typing and anyway, those of you who are still awake probably can't handle any more reading. Hope you had a great Chag and look forward to your comments!